Iris germanica florentina Orris PFAF Plant Database

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Iris germanica florentina - (L.)Dykes.

Common Name

Orris

Family

Iridaceae

Synonyms

I. florentina. L.

Known Hazards

The leaves, and especially the rhizomes, of this species contain an irritating resinous substance called irisin. If ingested this can cause severe gastric disturbances[274]. Plants can cause skin irritations and allergies in some people[238].

Habitats

Probably an albino form of I. germanica, it is not found in a truly wild situation[89].

Range

Europe - Mediterranean.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Iris germanica florentina is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in).
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.

Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.


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Habitats
Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Edible Uses: Condiment. The root can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a food flavouring[105]. The root may take several years of drying to develop its full fragrance[168].

Medicinal Uses

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Diuretic; Purgative; Stomachic.

The dried root is diuretic, expectorant and stomachic[21, 238]. It is taken internally in the treatment of coughs, catarrh and diarrhoea[238]. Externally it is applied to deep wounds[238]. The root is harvested in late summer and early autumn and dried for later use[238]. The juice of the fresh root is a strong purge of great efficiency in the treatment of dropsy[4].

Other Uses

Beads; Cosmetic; Dye; Essential; Incense.

The root is a source of Orris powder which has the scent of violets[238]. It is obtained by grinding up the dried root[4, 7, 46]. It is much used as a fixative in perfumery and pot-pourri, as an ingredient of toothpastes, breath fresheners etc and as a food flavouring. The root can take several years of drying to fully develop its violet-like fragrance, when fresh it has an acrid flavour and almost no smell[4, 168]. An essential oil is obtained from the fresh root, this has the same uses as the root[57, 61]. The root has been burnt in open fires in order to sweeten the smell of a room[245]. The juice of the root is sometimes used as a cosmetic and also for the removal of freckles from the skin[4]. A black dye is obtained from the root[168]. A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[168]. The seeds are used as rosary beads[61]. Plants can be grown for ground cover, the dense mat of roots excluding all weeds[208].

Cultivation details
Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained soil that contains some lime[1, 79]. Grows well in dry soils in light deciduous shade[187]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[79]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5 or higher[200]. The plant is sometimes cultivated for the essential oil in its root[9, 46]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[233].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a cold frame. A sterile plant, it does not produce seed[233]. Division, best done after flowering though it is usually successful at most times of the year. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

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Expert comment

Author
(L.)Dykes.

Botanical References
89200

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.

Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.

Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.

An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[57]Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[79]Innes. C. The World of Iridaceae

Deals with many of the plants in the Iris family giving brief details of habitat and notes on cultivation. Well illustrated.

[89]Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean.

A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.

The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[168]Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants.

A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[187]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2.

Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208]Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover

An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants

A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.

A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245]Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World.

An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
cool_mid_4@hotmail.com	Mon Jan 23 2006

i am from morocco i have iris for sale

Elizabeth H.
	Tue May 1 2007

Does anybody know if the base of the leaves of Iris Florentina has a purple tinge? Or does somebody know any Iris Germanica with such purple tint at the base of the leaves? Many thanks for an answer. Robert François

Elizabeth H.
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